Brothers dig up ‘scary stuff’ on The Curse of Oak Island

The mystery keeps unfolding as new season of reality show starts Sunday on History

From left, David Blankenship, Marty Lagina, Rick Lagina, and Craig Tester star in The Curse of Oak Island. The new 13-episode season begins Sunday at 11 p.m. on History. Viewers can catch up with a Season 1 and 2 marathon beginning 11 a.m. Saturday.

It’s been more than 220 years, and treasure hunters on Oak Island still don’t know what they’re looking for, says Rick Lagina.

Speculation has ranged from pots of pirate gold, to Shakespeare’s manuscripts or even the treasures of the Knights Templar.

The latest search on the island off the coast of Nova Scotia’s South Shore has been a humbling experience, says Marty Lagina, who with his brother Rick wrapped filming in October on the third season of History’s hit reality show The Curse of Oak Island.

“I thought we’d be further along,” says Marty, the self-professed skeptic of the duo. “We’re not as smart as we thought. We’ve been learning some things and have come up with some intriguing things to follow.”

Armchair treasure hunters can immerse themselves in the mystery when the new 13-episode season premieres Sunday at 11 p.m. on History. And they can catch up on the first two seasons with a marathon beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

The brothers from Michigan won’t divulge what they discovered in this year’s quest, but Marty, speaking by phone from his home in Traverse City, says they “have made some significant progress.”

He also says they experienced some “scary stuff” this summer.

It’s been 50 years since older brother Rick, who lives in Upper Peninsula, picked up the Reader’s Digest article on Oak Island by David MacDonald that has enthralled him ever since.

“I went to Catholic school; the nuns were strict. We were allowed one book out of the library, and Reader’s Digest had 30 stories that I could then read further on. In five pages, it (Oak Island) was a wonderful story, but what I was captivated by was the mystery.

“As little boys we had a rock in the woods with a band of quartz and we called it Indian Rock. We thought there was treasure buried under it and for years we tried to move it with sticks and levers and rods,” he says, adding that they were hardwired for treasure hunting as they were raised on books like the Hardy Boys and Tom Swift.

Marty went into the oil and gas industry — he’s expanded into wind energy — and says every time he drills it’s like a treasure hunt.

Robert Restall Jr. dumps mud from a shaft near a beach on Oak Island as part of his family's treasure-hunting efforts in 1961. (HERALD ARCHIVES)

The brothers weren’t planning on a TV career but were approached by Prometheus Entertainment with an idea for the show. A five-episode season premiered in January 2014, followed by a 10-episode second season last November.

“It hit a nerve,” says Marty. “Everyone loves a treasure hunt.”

Rick says that at first he didn’t fully understand the appeal of a show about the world’s longest-running treasure hunt, but since then he’s heard from people who watch the show and jump inside the story as if they were part of the search themselves.

“They are incredibly intrigued and want answers.”

The Oak Island mystery “is a large part of the lore of Nova Scotia and there’s a keen interest by local people who have been supportive, friendly and helpful,” he says. And people watch as a family, learning about history, math and science.

Two discoveries stand out for him: the coconut fibre found in Smith’s Cove and the coin from the 1650s found in the swamp.

“I believe there’s something there and we’re working together trying to figure it out, trying to puzzle out this wonderful mystery.”

Though legend has it that seven people will die before the treasure is found, and six treasure hunters have been killed in various accidents, the brothers aren’t worried.

“It’s also a very dangerous place, because of all the searching. There are hundreds of shafts not all filled in and we can’t be certain we won’t disappear into the ground.

“It’s been such a heartbreak for so many people who have invested their hearts and their fortunes and so many died.”

What happens if they find something?

“We asked our father prior to his passing what to do; he said, ‘Do good,’” says Rick, now retired.

“It’s a wonderful, incredible story, and we’d love to give a piece of Nova Scotia history back to a wider audience,” adds Marty, noting he knows Rick hopes the treasure will be an artifact from the Knights Templar.

And whether or not the series is renewed for a fourth season, the brothers will be back searching for treasure.